Beautiful Stranger
by limpypinky
Summary: It's years after the battle and Hermione is left wondering what life what have been like with Ron if he hadn't left her when he turns up to comfort her.


**Disclaimer:** The characters are not mine, they are JK Rowling's, I am just playing with them.

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**Beautiful Stranger**

Hermione hurried through the crowed city streets. She wished that Ron was with her; she hadn't seen him for years, since he'd left her and gone off with Lavender. Hermione felt a tear slip down her cheek at the thought of Ron. She had thought he loved her, obviously she had been mistaken.

She looked around and could only see couples holding hands and smiling at each other with there little children scurrying around there feet. She felt light-headed and disoriented. She had to get away from these crowds, these people, these people who reminded her off him.

Now tears were streaming down her face as she stood stock still in the middle of the street. Then she began to run, she had to get away. Everyone was staring at her, but she didn't care. A few people were asking her what was wrong but she ignored them. They hadn't been through what she had. She had fought in the final battle with him by her side. She had seen Harry defeat Voldemort and die in the process. It had been an emotional struggle, Ron and she had finally gotten together but Ron had been damaged by Harry's death, just as she had, but he couldn't take it. He had distanced himself from her then he'd married Lavender. He'd broken her heart, broken it a thousand times over.

She was finally out of the busy atmosphere. Finally away from where she would be reminded of him, but she needed to bee reminded of him. She sat down on the park bench and remembered. She remembered all that had happened to them over the years, then she remembered the war, Ron telling her he loved her and would stay by her side forever, but he hadn't.

Her face was damp with all he tears and she felt someone sit by her side. She didn't look at them but continued to cry, they wouldn't be interested in her.

"What's wrong?" the person said. Their voice sounded so familiar but she just couldn't place it. It was forgotten but so familiar.

"Tell me," the person said in a kind, caring voice. Hermione turned to look at the person. They not only sounded familiar but looked familiar to. They were forgotten but so familiar. She just couldn't place her finger on it. Where had she met this person before? They were handsome too, she noticed blushing_  
_

_Haven't we met  
You're some kind of beautiful stranger_

She couldn't remember. Why not? She had been able to remember so clearly a few minutes ago but when this man had appeared her memory seemed to have disappeared; her breath had been taken away_  
_

_If I'm smart then I'll run away  
But I'm not so I guess I'll stay  
Heaven forbid  
I'll take my chance on a beautiful stranger_

Why didn't she just leave? Get away from this stranger? _Because they're not._ An unbidden voice in her head said. _They're not a stranger, you know them, think, think._ She couldn't think; they had taken every ounce of common sense away from her. She couldn't think, she couldn't remember_ .  
_

_I looked into your eyes  
And my world came tumbling down  
You're the devil in disguise_

What was going on? She couldn't even remember what had happened before the stranger sat down. All she knew was that she was crying, and still crying now_  
_

_To know you is to love you  
You're everywhere I go  
And everybody knows  
To love you is to be part of you  
I've paid for you with tears  
And swallowed all my pride_

Then she remembered. She remembered everything, the tears she had spent crying over this one person, and now this person was sitting next to her as if nothing had happened.

"Ron?" she whispered hoarsely. "Is that you?"

"Yes. Hermione, why are crying? You don't look well." He was so caring still, even after he left her, maybe he still loved her, maybe there was still hope.

"I'm crying over a person who left me years ago, who told me there'd be with me forever; they told me they loved me. I'm still crying after all these years and now he's back," she didn't know what made her say it, to him of all people she just blurted it out. She wasn't thinking straight with him near her again.

"But I'm here now, Hermione." She didn't want to here this. She didn't want to fall back into his trap again. "I always did love you. I wasn't thinking straight after Harry died." If she didn't want to hear this then why was she listening to it so intently? Who was she kidding? Of course she wanted to hear this. "That's why I left you and married Lavender instead. I still love you and always will even if you don't love me back, Hermione." She could have jumped for joy.

"Of course I still love you. I never stopped loving you," she snapped. "You can't just expect to stroll back into my life and me to be all happy when you broke my heart so much, can you? What does Lavender think of all this?" she didn't know why she snapped at him. She would off given anything for him to come back and tell her he still loved her and here he was, doing just that.

"Lavender and I are divorced. She knew I wouldn't ever love her properly, she knew I still loved you. I know you still love me, Hermione, listen to me, please." Oh, this was all wrong, yet so right but she couldn't let him have her back so easily.

"No, I can't, I'm sorry Ron but I stopped loving you years ago, when you left me." Oh, why did she lie? Why did she have to push him away just when he came back and told her he still loved her? One simple word: pride. She wouldn't let him strip her of her pride.

"Then why did you say you were crying about me then?" He knew, knew she couldn't survive without him. Before she could make any further objections Ron cupped her face in his hands, pulled her towards him and started to kiss her. Damn him! He always took her breath away. She couldn't resist him. She didn't care about her pride, if only she could have him, her Beautiful Stranger.


End file.
